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Contest

The Old Sins Short Fiction Contest Has Arrived!

We are accepting short genre fiction from now until March 28th.

Each author can submit one original, character-driven story of roughly three to ten pages (750 to 2500 words) in one of three genres: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, or Mystery. The best of these works will be published in an upcoming anthology.

The winner in each category will receive $25 and a paperback copy of the anthology. In addition, the grand prize winner’s work will be featured in the anthology.

We welcome mixing genres, such as adding romance, western, or mystery elements to a hard science fiction work. Well-done satire or comedy is always welcome, as is subtlety in meaning and multi-valence. Most importantly, we want enjoyable and thought-provoking works.

We will turn away any submissions that are fan fiction, fictionalized nonfiction, fictionalized autobiography, or works derivative of other writers. We will also turn away environment-driven stories (such as zombies and disaster work), blatant plugging of a political or belief system, promotion of an exclusionary belief system, and works focused primarily on combat.

In addition, we prefer the entries be Young Adult friendly, so keep everything PG.

Other than use in the anthology (both print and electronic copies) and for promotional purposes, you will retain rights to your story.

The judges will be Old Sins’ staff, specifically the lead editor, Joseph Cadotte, bookstore owner Jack Jack Skeen, and illustrator Elizabeth Kidder.